17-year-old racing phenom wins pole for NASCAR Truck Series debut
At 17 years old, Connor Zilisch is barely old enough to drive a street car. He can't drink or gamble, but the young racing phenom is already making waves in the NASCAR world.
Zilisch won the pole for Saturday's XPEL 225 at Circuit of The Americas, posting a lap that was more than seven-tenths of a second faster than second-place qualifier Corey Heim. Not only did Zilisch win the pole, he set a new track record for COTA as well, posting a lap at 93.012 miles per hour. Zilisch is the sixth driver in Truck Series history to win the pole for his first series start.
The Truck Series pole award adds to what has already been an incredible year for the young driver, who also won the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, two of the most prestigious racing events in the world.
According to NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, Zilisch's qualifying run was no fluke.
"It'll be more of the same tomorrow as long as nobody runs through him," the Cup Series veteran said, predicting that Zilisch could decimate the field during the race just as he did during qualifying.
Not only will Zilisch try to win in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut on Saturday, he'll also have to fly to Pensacola, Florida, to compete in the ARCA Menards Series East race on Saturday evening. Zilisch will compete for the championship in the series this year, making it imperative that he's in Pensacola when the green flag flies. He'll have to get to the track and get settled quickly.
For a driver who already has Xfinity Series races with JR Motorsports lined up for 2024, as well as a development deal with Trackhouse Racing signed, the result of Saturday's race likely won't impact Zilisch's career path. But a win or top-five finish could be the first time a national audience learns of his name and potential — and it certainly won't be the last.
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